NocturnalKISS's Story

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It was quite the peaceful day. All through out the morning, she could recall the smiling faces of those around her. It was something magical about this time of year. Everything just seemed... Brighter. Snow especially did the trick. She wasn't too found of winter really. In her opinion, fall collections were far superior in the fashion industry. But that that was neither here nor there. As per usual, the elegant priest had found her way to the tavern. She was there quite regularly. It was like a second home to her and everyone who passed her by greeted her kindly. She was use to it by now and loved to greet them back equally. It seemed that a large group of friendly players had gathered around her. She felt as though she were in school again. Just a large lunch table of friends having good conversations. Unfortunately, at the moment, she wasn't quite paying attention. The sound of music seemed to distract her, but from what she could gather, the players were speaking of the latest even soon to come. Ah yes, the remembered fondly. She didn't really know if she wished to take part in it or not. Truthfully, she didn't seem to have much interest but lately, times have been slow. She had been keeping her distance from missions hoping to keep everyone she could in the tavern for a good chat or two. She enjoyed these encounters and wanted them to last a bit longer. Maybe that could help them.

"I don't know. It's just something about Christmas that get's me excited."

There it was. Her eyes began to widened. She had completely forgotten. She had prepared a special batch of pastries just for the occasion. She individually wrapped them and everything. Just a little something for her regular's. She would place the gathering of sweets onto the table with a smile seeing the faces of many of those around her lighten up. It was magical.

"I know it's not much. I'm sure you all would have preferred a real present. But, I prepared some yummy things for anyone who wishes to take part in it in the tavern. It's open to everyone so please help yourself. Of course, don't be greedy. Only one per person ok?" She nodded lightly as she began to lower her hood revealing her golden horns and white hair. It was rare that she let that hood down but this evening was a peaceful occasion. She didn't want to seem too tense in front of everyone. She giggled to herself as she began to watch a few people take some of her sweets. It felt nice watching the visitors of the tavern coming and helping themselves to what she had made.

"So Noc, today we made this HUGE snowman right? Was amazing. You should have been there."

She smiled. "It does indeed sounds amazing. But I guess I never was too familiar with snow. I never saw it regularly. I believed sometimes it would snow but... It wasn't normal for me." She laughed. It was true. It wasn't that normal to her eyes. Sure it was interesting and the way it felt was indescribable, but in the end, it was just snow. She grabbed a hold of her staff and began to motion it back and forth letting the bells on either side jingle. "But make sure you all are good boys and girls. Wouldn't want a lump of coal right?" Those surrounding her began to laugh along. This was a great feeling. A truly relaxing feeling.

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The archways of the town’s entrance stood prominent in Minuet’s field of view, the snow still falling lightly and adding a light chill to the air. It was decorated for the holidays, with red and green wreathing twirled about the stone. She could already see the massive tree that stood in the middle of the town- it was impossible to miss, after all. She stood at one of the entrances to Vael, simply looking around in wonder to take in the massive change that the city had undergone. While Ventri would have probably been the first choice for the winter event, since it was actually in a snow biome, Minuet was glad that it was at the otherwise warm, seafaring village of Vael. It made enough sense anyway, since everyone’s levels fell right into the range of this town. It was nice that everyone would get the chance to participate in the event. Actually, was anyone even in the level range for Ventri? Minuet only knew of it from the information that had been on the game, listing the towns. The upper towns must be very lonely…. She thought to herself, a frown having managed to pull at the corners of her lips despite the cheer of the season.

A little chatter at her feet pulled her from those thoughts, and a smile immediately replaced the frown that had been there mere seconds before. Luke peered up at her with calm, affectionate, and warm eyes from his perch on her shoe. His long ears flickered to attract more of her attention, and he pawed at the toe of her boots while letting out another chitter, his tail wrapped around her ankle to keep him from falling forward as he was a bit too big to be sitting where he was. He had woken up about halfway through Minuet’s journey to the town and had emerged sleepily from her pack to cling to her shoulder with his front paws while the hind legs rested on her back to support him. How long had she been standing here, that he had crawled down to rest on the top of her foot, and how had she not noticed until now?


Luka shifted his weight slightly to his hind legs, arching his neck to look straight up at her, the back of his head now resting gently on her shin and one of his front paws bent slightly at the wrist. His jaws parted slightly and his upper lip curled back over his canine tooth as he gave her a sort of lopsided grin. This produced a chiming laugh from Minuet’s lips, her hand raising to hide her mouth as she did so. Luka seemed exceedingly pleased by having drawn her from her darker thoughts, like he had done so many times in the past.

Minuet spent a few moments to hold his searching gaze, her smile now content and loving; she really would do anything for him. She owed him at least that much, and yet Luka didn’t have the slightest notion of expecting anything from her but her companionship. …Well, maybe her cooking too.

”Alright you nut, let’s get going.” Another laugh accompanied her affectionate words, and she lifted her shoe to shake him off. Luka hopped forward with a complaining but playful chirp. Minuet honestly wondered how he would do in the snow, him having never experienced it before- or at least to her knowledge he hadn’t. There was a very light film of snow on the ground, though obviously the roads within the town would be free from it considering there were so many feet moving it around and tracking it places. He reacted much like she thought he would.

Luka took a few hesitant steps in the wet material, shaking each paw individually with every step he took- a futile effort, to be sure. He looked back at her with a begrudging look before shooting back towards her form. Minuet let out a little squeal and quickly twirled away from his racing form. ”Not with those wet paws you’re not!!” She laughed, refusing to let him clamber back up her form with cold, wet feet. Luka suddenly plopped his rear onto the ground and folded his ears back, his tail thrashing wildly on the pavement like a pouting child having a tantrum. Minuet laughed, and Luka let out a loud whine before his ears were then perking up once more and his face lit up cheerfully, practically prancing back to Minuet’s side. So it seemed that the snow hadn’t actually really bothered him much and he was just making a show of it. Classic Glitch, she thought wryly, though it was much the same for her- she had been playing when she had refused to let him climb her; it didn’t matter if he was sopping wet and full of mud, she would still grab him and hold him close to her form to protect him from the elements if the need arose. Motioning with her hand for the two of them to head into the town, Luka and Minuet happily made their way along.

It was slow going, but that was at Minuet’s discretion, as she couldn’t help but take the time to stop and watch what was going on around her. From children running around throwing snowballs or just playing tag in the snow piles that had accumulated at the edges of the sidewalks and roads as well as anywhere else it had amassed, to the laughter and singing of others while they ran or walked together under the holiday decorations and cheer, to the handful of people ice skating on the now frozen-over bay. It really was Christmas Eve, even if it was in a fake world. Luka happily trailed beside her, keeping step with her speed paw for foot. He was looking around constantly as well- he always enjoyed it whenever they were in a town, as it was rather rare for him since the duo spent most of their time out in the fields. It had only been quite recently that Minuet had begun to really frequent civilization again.

Minuet wasn’t just here for the event, whether that be the Holiday décor or the actual monster battles on the morrow, but to reconnect with the few friends she had as well. No doubt they would be here for the event and the crowds, whether that mean business or compassion. It would be really good to see Mono and hopefully Nocturnal as well. She was actually kind of hoping to crash at Moe’s place for the few days that she and Luka would be in town for. If Nocturnal had a house in Vael, she’d probably ask her as well, but she wasn’t actually sure whether she did or not. She’d have to find one of them first, of course, but for now she sought Kiss, since she was more sociable and most likely easier to find. If she ran into Moe, she’d of course be eager to reconnect with her, but figuring for the holidays, she guessed that Noc would be at the local inn, which was where Min was headed to look first.

As they progressed toward their intended destination, Luka raced ahead, eager to get someplace warm and hopefully see Kiss with cookies or some other goodie for him. Minuet’s eyes widened and she reached a useless hand out towards his rapidly disappearing form. She tried to settle the worry the suddenly spurred up within her- she couldn’t expect to keep him on a tight leash forever, he was just as curious about the world as she was. Besides, nothing bad would happen to him- probably, at least. That thought only spurred her forwards, though at a careful pace so she wouldn’t get ahead of herself and end up tripping or slipping on the slush all over the ground. She wanted to run after him, but honestly it wouldn’t do any good. If anything, he would be waiting for her at the door of the inn to open it for him, or, if he managed to slip in as a player opened the door to leave, she would find him with Kiss if she were there, or… somewhere in the inn. He would come if she called… probably. Minuet used this seemingly sound logic to calm herself, and she proceeded along to the Gold Gallion. However, as she came up a slight incline in the road and the inn came into view, she was not expecting to find what she did.

Luka had run forward with abandon, the cheer and excitement of the holidays fueling his legs and pushing him closer and closer to their intended destination. However, once he reached the inn, he was faced with something rather menacing that blocked his path. A large black tiger, an actual pet that the game intended to exist, stood in Luka’s way- a threat in many different ways. The normal coding seemed to clash with his own programming, sending warnings jolting all throughout his form and causing major discomfort and a subtle crackling sound. His need for self-preservation was kicking in and warning him not to come into contact with the original strand of code. The animal was on its last legs as well- he could tell- and that meant that it had to have feral tendencies already showing. Overall, Luka was wickedly concerned and put off by the tamed creature’s presence. He suddenly came to a halt a few feet from the feline guard at the inn, spreading his feet and his hackles rising, quill-like feathers suddenly brushing against each other to make a rattling sound, much like a rattlesnake would to warn those around it not to get too close or else it would lash out. Something between a bark and a screech escaped his maw, and he suddenly bounded up the rather unfortunate soul that stood awkwardly a few feet from a beast player who undoubtedly was the owner of the tiger. Something about her also hyped his wariness.

Minuet had arrived on the scene in a rush, having broken out of her walk once she spotted what was happening. Luka felt threatened, and that definitely wasn’t a good thing. A girl with fox ears stood blocking Minuet’s view of whatever Luka had climbed up to achieve the vantage point on the offenses that stood in his vicinity.

”Luka!!” She called out with worry in her voice, feet pattering loudly on the stone as she tried to put herself between her companion and whatever was bothering him. Minuet made her way around the fox girl swiftly, giving her plenty of space, and reaching out to where she knew her pet would be. However, what she was met with had her faltering, her previously outstretched fingers curling back slightly as she came to a dead halt.

Luka was perched- rather comfortably- on the shoulder of a demon player, hackles still raised and warning sounds still rattling his quills as his back was arched. Luka… was sitting on a complete stranger? That was the initial fact that had her stopping dead in her tracks. The second, it seemed, was her getting distracted by said complete stranger and the complications of Luka having had no qualms about making contact with him.

Her arm, which had been outstretched with her hand a few inches from his form, was pulled to her chest with a lightly held fist at her collar bone. She looked at this taller individual, gentle blue softly locked onto rich orange, and all other sounds seemed to drown out for a second or two as Minuet blinked, confuse. Luka only touched people he trusted and knew, so why he had so readily climbed up this guy... it was an absolute quandary. Said troublemaker broke her stupor when he suddenly leapt from the other’s shoulder, using powerful hind legs to kick off of him and return to Minuet, front paws making contact with her own shoulder, holding him there for a second before he lowered the rest of his form while climbing into the depths of her raised hood and settling his body onto the top of her pack. Her head tilted to the side as she seemed startled by the contact and watched as her follower pressed against the skin of her neck as he slunk into hiding, leaving her alone to fend off two complete strangers who undoubtedly were rather disturbed by her and Luka’s sudden presence. Oh nono, conflict was definitely not what she was looking for- she had hoped simply to keep a low profile and find the few people she did actually know to enjoy this season with.

Minuet turned back to look at Granite, a slightly sheepish though mostly apologetic and nervous look to her face as she clasped her hands together in front of her and made a slight bow. ”S-sorry,” She turned now, looking back at the fox girl whom she had previously looked past, ”I’m sure he didn’t mean anything by it,” turning back to Granite, she stiffened ever so slightly as her hand raised to rest at the back of her hood, making sure that it was still there, ”Ah, h-happy holidays.” She finished quickly, aiming it really at all three of them- Arctic, Granite, and Kuro- hoping to have appeased them, and even if not, quickly sidestepping them, dipping her head to hide her face and embarrassment from sight beneath her hood, and entering the Gold Gallion without another word.

As the door closed behind her and a small bell jingled above her to announce her arrival, she let out a breath that she hadn’t realized she had been holding while she made her escape from that awkward situation. She didn’t want any fights- that was for sure, so the quick disappearance was rather called for. But that guy….

However, before she got anywhere with that thought, a familiar voice called out to her from somewhere deeper in the inn. NocturnalKiss.

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Augur had made his way into the town without any hiccups or disturbances, which he was definitely grateful for. He really didn’t want anything happening today to make his mood or outlook even worse. The town was even more hideously decorated up close than it had appeared from afar. Well, that was mostly his sour mood talking, he actually did like what was done with the place, but you’d have to put the figurative gun to his head to get him to admit anything that mess of code had come up with was acceptable, and even then….

He heaved a sigh, rolling his shoulders before shaking his head. Whatever, it didn’t really matter. He was here to hopefully sight the aforementioned ‘Game Master’, though honestly what he would do with it if he found it he couldn’t really say. He needed to find Cain first, and others who could act as support for the inevitable facing of the monster that had created this hell. The best chance for finding any of those was at this town- the event was just an added bonus. It brought together players from all over the virtual world of LAIOS, and he definitely couldn’t complain about the new event monsters/boss that would spawn in town. In fact, he was quite excited about it. The first boss monster of LAIOS- would it be like creatures he had already experienced and catalogued, or would it be a new breed entirely? The monster-tester could hardly keep still at the thought of it. Besides, getting to vent his anger on a few nasties wouldn’t have him complaining either.

But first he had to get to tomorrow, and since he had arrived a day early so that he wouldn’t miss anything, he still had to admit that it was an annoying prospect. There was no way in hell that he would be going anywhere near the damned inn of Vael, or any other inn for that matter. God, just thinking about all the noise and godawful bards… he was already getting a headache and he was in an area that was rather quiet at the moment. He would have to find elsewhere to crash for the night, and he might just do so at one of the shops or buildings the NPCs watched over.

A dark cloud seemed to have gathered over his head as he began walking through the town, directly away from the Gold Gallion, and towards the lower shores of Vael that were currently frozen over. He was kind of intimidating and broody to be honest, and Lotty sort of just sat scrunched up on his shoulder, trying to ignore the darker aura surrounding her master.

In the next instance, however, a soft thump sounded, and a sphere of snow suddenly exploded in Augur’s face. Lotty looked somewhat startled, but suddenly a bubbly croak that sounded suspiciously like laughter escaped her mouth, and had they made it a feature, the snow probably would have melted off of his face from the embarrassed blush that now covered his cheeks. Quickly lifting a hand to wipe off whatever snow clung there, sending sharp cold needles to his face, Augur quickly glanced around to see who had thrown that.

A little NPC girl, with yellow mittens, a white cap, and a yellow coat much like his own stood a little ways off, her hands together in front of her lips with a wide eyed and guilty expression- shocked that she had hit someone other than the young player whom she had been aiming for, who was actually part of the game she and a few of the other NPC children were playing with. She looked absolutely mortified and was just waiting to be yelled at by the seemingly scary man she had accidentally just hit.

Augur looked her way for a few seconds before suddenly straightening and smiling brightly at the little girl and NPC boy who was behind her, looking just as shocked as she, waving at them with his index, thumb, and middle finger outstretched. They looked utterly relieved, and the girl even gave a soft sigh of relief, before giggling brightly and running off in a random direction, the NPC boy following after her laughing and the child player whom she had been aiming at who was behind Augur came into view, chasing after them with a snowball of his own.

The overly bright smile was wiped off of his face immediately after they had disappeared from view, but a slight imprint of it pressed gently at the corners of his lips. He couldn’t be mad at the little ones, especially since they had not intentionally aimed for him out of malice or mischief. Meanwhile, Lotty was still laughing at his expense, and Augur aimed a pointed frown of complaint and offense at her, flicking her on the head to get her to silence. She wobbled precariously as he offset her balance, but she did not fall, and simply tipped back over to the safety of his shoulder, eyes wide and a little ‘ribbit’ escaping from her mouth. She nestled back down, albeit with a bit of playful grumbling, as Augur continued along his way, returning his hands to his warm pockets.

He was intending to do a bit of shopping or business down at the stalls by the shoreline on the eastern side of the town. He was hoping to take advantage of the Christmas cheer and thus undoubtedly lowered prices of the shopkeepers, both NPC and player-wise. You couldn’t really blame him, he was just playing the game, after all. Perhaps he could find some interesting trinkets for he or Lotty.

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The demon looked up when he heard Prince and couldn't help but grin at the man. He sat back in his seat and set the cards face down on the table as he waited for his princely bard package to finally be delivered. Shade happily allowed the man to wrap his arms around his neck while he wrapped his around Prince's waist. EclecticPrince was warm against him and he was the only present that he could really ask for. Out in the real world, he didn't have this, couldn't have this. Here in the game, he could be himself and he found someone that he could cherish and actually enjoy the holidays with. They wouldn't be judged here and life... life was good. People may think him insane but he was happy here. He was happy he was stuck in the game. It was selfish, he knew but there it was. He did wish that those who wanted to return home could, but he was happy where he was with EclecticPrince. He settled his head on Eclectic's shoulder and nuzzled his face softly and put a ridiculous grin on his lips. He could care less what everyone else was saying at this point. He actually started to ignore Cain's presence even. That was a bonus.

Shade looked up only to notice that Granite had left the table. He blinked and glanced at Demo who was also talking to him and Cain. Oh and Prince had asked who Cain was. Well then, he was rather observant wasn't he? He hadn't even realized the conversation was going on without him. Prince always did nab his attention, didn't he? He gave a sheepish smile before he leaned forward to kiss his bard's cheek. "That my dear, is a very annoying priest, but then again, what priest isn't annoying?" he mused. "He's come to preach our ears off." Why, yes, yes he did have something against priests but Cain only seemed to aggravate him all the more. Huh, maybe Cain did get a rise out of him after all. "He's no one important, my Prince," he answered him.

His tail whipped behind him as he turned his attention to PsychDemo and gave a nod. "Yes, I know him. We've had the displeasure of meeting a couple of times. I am surprised you know him though I am not quite sure why." And then she folded and left the game. Well then. Cain was quite the repulsive magnet. He had forced both Granite and Psych away from the table! And to his chagrin, the damned priest sat down. Damn it, Cain wouldn't leave them alone, would he? He sighed exasperated. Jealous? He was not jealous of Cain in any shape or form. At least he seemed polite enough to his prince. If he wasn't, Shade would not take kindly. For now, he'd just grin and bare Cain's annoying onslaught and unyielding speech of how great he was. At least Psych came back. He did wonder what was wrong with Granite. He had seemed perfectly fine a moment ago. Cain's appearance had just... made him poof. Did Granite know Cain from somewhere? Cain didn't seem to recognize him. There was something eating at Granite and Shade couldn't begin to know what. He wasn't very close with Granite after all. Especially not after their first meeting. Ah, now that had been fun. Shade had only just managed to kill his mark and protect Prince when Granite had rushed in accusing him of trying to PK his brother. Prince barely managed to stop the other demon from attacking Shade while he was down. Yup. Fun times.

Shade snapped out of his revere when he noticed the doors open. He looked over to see Montanax and his crew. When the guild leader looked his way, he gave him an incline of his head in silent greeting. It was good to see him and his crew healthy and well. Man this tavern was getting more and more patrons by the minute. It was getting crowded and Shade didn't much like this many people around; especially since his name was currently red. No one could kill each other in town, but he still didn't want an issues coming up because he was a PK and the only PK currently in the tavern. He wanted to go but he didn't want to be rude to the company they were currently keeping. He looked up at his lover and pressed his lips against his neck to get his attention. When his blue haired elf looked down, he sent a private message.

"It is getting crowded here and I want us to leave before shit lets loose with the spawning monsters. The Game Master didn't say what level the creatures were going to be and I don't want any of them attacking you. Besides, it is Christmas Eve. I do want to spend some time alone with you. I have a present for you," he smiled.

He turned to PsychDemo and Cain then. "Hey, are you guys going to be participating in the event? The prizes do sound pretty enticing.

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Minuet hadn’t realised how warm and muggy it was in the tavern until she actually got a moment to experience it after the door had closed behind her, blocking any more cool breezes from entering. The hot air of the inn was quick to swarm forward and consume whatever titch of cold dared linger in its turf. The warmth was... almost nice, welcomed for its dispelling of the cool that clung to her skin, but she knew all too well that it would soon become uncomfortable. Her initial reaction was to shed her coat immediately, but the thought seemed to be pushed to the back of her mind before she could act upon it as suddenly a familiar, and very bubbly, individual was set upon her.

”Is that my darling Minuet~?” The voice had honestly caught her attention long before her approaching form did. At the first signs of the familiar voice, Luka was suddenly poking his head out from the depths of Minuet’s hood, eyes large and ears perked forward at absolute attention. He chattered excitedly, his tail swishing furiously within the confines of the cloth that surrounded him, swatting continuously against the pack that was upon his master’s back and knocking it about. Minuet was just as excited as he was though, a bright grin rushing across her lips as she turned and saw Kiss approaching. ”Kis-!” Her cheery acknowledgement was cut short, or rather muffled by the other’s torso, as Nocturnal wrapped her arms around her and pulled her into a warm hug. The action left Minuet’s heart happy, and she couldn’t help a close-eyed grin from brightening her face, though hidden by the cloth of Kiss’s outfit.

During the embrace, Luka had popped out of Min’s hood, scampering across the short distance between she and the priest. Noc released Minuet with a smile, and the little fox creature raced across the woman’s shoulders twice before resting at the nape of her neck on his lower legs, propped up against her head with his front paws happily situated atop the crown of her head. His tail swiped right and left against her back in a content and excited manner, and when Kiss spoke up a little apology about crushing Minuet and calling her ‘too cute’, Luka papped at her hair with one paw and a short bark, ears flicking back slightly and tail twitching laterally as if to claim, “Hey, me too!!” He was theatrically ‘wounded’ by the priest’s neglect of him, though really in a playful manner. At Kiss’s praise on her stature, Minuet’s cheeks flushed warmly and happily, relishing in the affection and attention that Nocturnal was giving her. The blue-eyed chef ran a hand over her hair as a sheepish tick to fix it should it have gotten a little messed up in Noc’s hug as well as attempt to brush off Kiss’s compliments. She was so nice~.

”Ah, thank you,” She smiled abashedly, taking Kiss’s hand as she offered it to lead the three of them back to her table. Once there, Kiss propped herself up onto the table before taking a seat and swishing her legs back and forth cutely, commenting on the event and how she would not be partaking in it. Minuet’s eyes widened a bit with the revelation, and her lips parted slightly to form a small ‘o’, ”Oh, are you not participating in it?” She pulled a chair over to plop down in it, folding her hands in her lap as she looked up at Noc and Luka still comfortably situated on her head. She nodded when Kiss asked after her intentions with it, ”Yeah, that’s why me and Luka are in. I have to admit that I’m really excited to see what the monsters look like, and plus this is the first boss of the game! The rewards will be really nice too.” She smiled, thinking of all of the possibilities that there could be for the drops.

Kiss recaptured her attention as she made a small exclamation, seeming to have remembered something important. Minuet looked at her expectantly with curiosity. When she alluded to it mysteriously, it only made Minna all the more curious, practically at the edge of her seat waiting to be shown what it was.

She was not disappointed with the reveal, as Nocturnal procured a little bag of goodies from within her bag. She had saved it just for her too, so that made it all the more special. Minuet’s eyes lit up, ”Ooh!” She practically cooed over them- they were so small and varied, and so cute! Just for her- and Luka too of course. She clapped her hands together in excitement as she looked over the bag and its neatly tied ribbon, suddenly looking up at Noc with a big smile. ”Wow! They look so cute! Thank you! I’m sure they’re delicious.” She was about to take the bag from her friend when Luka, having watched the proceeding with great interest, snaked down from Nocturnal’s head. His little nose was snuffling furious about the bag, before he paused and tilted his maw forward, lips parting and teeth delicately taking hold of one of the strings of the ribbon and pulling. He was latched onto Kiss’s stomach upside-down, his claws hooked into the material lightly to keep his balance. As the mouth of the bag fell open, he shoved his entire head into the clear plastic and started grabbing as many cookies and goodies with his jaws as he could fit into his mouth. Loud munching could be heard from within the bag. Minuet gasped with a sudden frown, swatting Luka right above the tail in scolding.

The creature let out a squeak and a huff of his nose, tail suddenly trying to tuck between his legs and ears falling back as he quickly pulled his head from the bag. He looked up at Minuet with cheeks full of baked goods. His eyes seemed sorry, but he was still munching away what was left in his mouth without a shred of remorse. Crumbs and little sugar particles stuck to his whiskers, and as he chewed away the sweet confections that Kiss had made, crumbs fell from his mouth and chin to fall into her lap. He quickly hopped off of Kiss and onto the table, shirking away from his master’s reach lest she try to reprimand him again. Minuet leaned forward and took the bag from Kiss’s hands with an apologetic look, sweeping the messy crumbs from her lap before holding the goodies in her own. ”Oh, I’m so sorry! Luka has no manners.” She shot the creature a playfully dirty look before looking back up to Kiss.

The priestess then asked after Minuet’s own cooking, and a thoughtful look crossed her face. ”It’s been going pretty good, though I haven’t had the chance to make anything special for the holidays yet. Limited resources and the likes,” Since she and Luka had been out in the field for the majority of the past week before the event, she hadn’t had access to ranges or other advanced utilities. While cooking was pretty simple in this game, and you could cook pretty much anything if you had the basic necessities- ingredients, a heat source, water, a workspace, etc., the quality was better and the process easier if you used said advanced utilities such as ovens and stoves and the likes. Kiss then praised her cooking, calling it ”To die for,” to which Minuet blushed and stammered a reflection, ”A-ah, I don’t think I’m that good!!” She had an embarrassed look to her face as she shook her hands to make her point, but she spoke up soon after with a praised smile, ”But thank you.” NocturnalKISS then smirked deviously at her, the priestess’s next works teasing, threatening to steal her recipes.

”E-eh!? No way!!” She puffed out her cheeks and put her hands on her hips defiantly. She then laughed, dropping her hands back down to her lap. ”I would love to get together with you and do some cooking, if you’d have me? I need a place to stay for the event anyway, and would rather not put Luka and I under the horrors of a loud inn. I-if not, that’s totally alright, though! I’ll ask Moe if I can stay with her.” She smiled contently if not a little sheepishly up at Nocturnal. Luka had returned to Noc’s side in the meantime, sitting beside her on the table and looking around the inn quietly.

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The market stalls weren’t too particularly busy, but there were admittedly a few NPCs and players here and there dotting the small trading area. It seemed everyone was busy elsewhere- probably at one of those godforsaken inns or in the large commerce center elsewhere in the city that had actual buildings to stay warm in or find some food. Speaking of food, Augur felt his stomach grumble lightly while at the same time Lotty placed a small, sticky hand on the side of his cheek with a drawn-out croak, obviously feeling the same way as his stomach did. How long ago had it been since he had bothered to sit down for a real meal? Probably an hour too long, but it would wait until he was done down by the docks.

He meandered his way along the cobblestone of the road, hands shoved into his pockets as he glanced over the wares of the stalls he was passing by. He had one in particular that he wanted, so he didn’t really bother with the others unless something of particular interest caught his fancy. None had, so far. Two more stalls down and Augur finally made pause at one of the little wooden structures, a friendly male NPC behind it clothed in a warm sweater and some mittens. He seemed to brighten up as Augur decided to stop and stare at his humble wares.

After a minute or so of rummaging through the displayed items, his fingers ran over a small charm. Crudely made out of colored resin and low-tier metal, it was of a small standing rabbit, head tilted toward the sky expectantly, hopefully. He glanced at it with uncaring, slightly harsh eyes, inspecting it critically for the first moment that he beheld it. His features softened, however, as he picked it up and got a better look at it. It didn’t really matter to him that it was crude and cheap- it reminded him of hope. Hope that he, and others, would escape this prison, or at least look upon clear skies to find some semblance of peace or restoration to continue on with this endless struggle. Hope that he would find familiar faces.

He looked up at the NPC who was happily watching him look around his little stand, and he shifted the charm in his hand until he was holding it up between his index and thumb. Perhaps the little rabbit would give him some luck in his searches.

Augur paid for the piece that indeed ended up being not only cheap in craftsmanship, but also in price. A few half coppers was all it took, and Augur nodded his head in thanks as he pocketed the tiny totem and turned to seek out an ingredients merchant. As he was crossing the street to the other stalls that offered different selections, he heard a short, loud trill from Lotty, somewhere between a sharp, rumbling peep and a high-pitched croak of detection. That was the noise she used to alert him of a familiar person. Augur’s eyes widened and he turned his head expectantly to look down the road. Perhaps it was Cain? The rabbit seemed to be working already.

However, he was momentarily disappointed to find that it was not his old friend and coworker that he spotted, but rather someone he had often sent one-way messages to. Lotty was familiar with the username, and so had alerted Augur to the player’s presence as it crossed her threshold of perception, as she was wont to do. It was Man-O-War, the king jelly, as it were, of the Phoenix Blight guild. He had seen him once or twice before, but had never bothered to interact with him once. He agreed with Blight’s methods, so he had an interest in the dealings of the guild and thus kept an eye out for them whenever he could, offering knowledgeable warnings and assistance through anonymous PMs which he never responded to after he sent them, signing them simply as -Ag. They did not know each other past this rudimentary form of communication.

War was currently doing a few ninja kicks down the street. He was certainly eccentric. It was a humorous sight, to be sure- the squat body of a dwarf pulling off such flexible moves. Every time in the past that Augur had seen him, this time included, he could not help but always muse how much better the character would look with shorter hair- so little and much cuter- though he understood the ascetic behind the choice of the long hair. War was obsessed with jellyfishes, if it weren’t obvious from his username, but he also usually left a signature in his messages of an ASCII art text image of one, or at least Augur had seen it once or twice before. The man was known to talk about them on occasion as well, which is how Augur knew of it. Besides, he probably wasn't trying for the 'cute' image- dwarfs were supposed to be strong and proud, after all.

A soft, rare grin played into his lips as he thought on this particular aspect of the player approaching the market stalls as well. Wouldn’t he be excited off his socks when he found out that there were jellyfish-like creatures in LAIOS. With a soft chuckle, Augur turned his attention back to the stall he now stood before which offered many different dried ingredients for potion making. He would be sure to stock up for the boss battle of the event, seeing if he couldn’t create ones more potent than those that he currently had. It was not in his nature to turn and seek out others for conversation, so he simply left War where he was, if not actually forgetting or ignoring his presence now entirely. He was much more keen on his trading and acquiring of goods.

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Mm, how long had it truly been since she had gotten to enjoy a home again? Minuet was comfortably curled up on a cushion on the floor before a short table, a ceramic cup held safely between her hands, steam rising from the lip to curl up into the air. A nice cup of tea~. Minuet smiled quietly to herself, enjoying the warmth on her hands and the gentle, sweet scent that emanated from the little treasure gripped in her fingers. Minna wasn’t entirely sure where Kiss was at that exact moment, but Minuet couldn’t help but simply lavish in the air that surrounded her fellow player’s home. It was cozy, especially with the snow that lined the windowpanes, and it was quiet, unlike the tavern they had been in previously. Luka was off somewhere as well, but Minuet knew that he would not be far, and furthermore that he would be behaving himself.

She was at peace, just keeping her own company for once in a safe place, without the looming presence of monsters, with four walls and a ceiling about her, with comforts and conveniences. She needed to get her own house, she really did enjoy this. Not to say that she didn’t love the way she lived already, out in the wildernesses with Luka, sleeping under the stars, but it would be nice to have her own place to call home. Minuet hummed quietly to herself, shifting a bit in the plush cushion that supported her player model, taking another sip of the peppermint tea. How festive everything was here~ she couldn’t help but admit that she delighted in it, despite how much she was actually missing in real life, and despite how much danger she was always in, being in this deadly game of rise and conquer. …Was there even actually a way out? What if they were stuck in here forever…?

Minuet shook her head resolutely. No, it would not do to think on such things. Of course there would be a way out- they would find it. There was no doubt about that. Perhaps it was just as easy as talking to the Game Master and convincing him to reintroduce the logout function. Well, hopefully it could be that easy, Minuet didn’t actually know who the Game Master was or what he was like. What if he was vindictive, evil? It might not be that far of a stretch, if he had trapped everyone in this game and was slowly killing everyone off….

Minuet took a focused sip of tea, a frown on her face as she pushed all of those thoughts from her head. Her fingertips tapped gently on the ceramic of the cup her hands were wrapped around. They would get out, whatever it took. She just hoped that Luka would make it out alright, in the end….

Speaking of both Game Master and her little companion, she suddenly heard a chittery growl from over in the next room, causing her head to turn towards the noise in curiosity. Not a moment later before a large banner appeared before her, announcing the beginning of the event and detailing its mechanics. Luka had sensed it, and was already slinking towards Minuet as smoothly as water, ears back against his skull and tail swishing to and fro. As he reached her, he slid forward into a laying position, pressed against the side of the cushion, tail still thrashing at the disturbance from the Game Master. However, it did not take long before his ears were suddenly perking up and a genuine curiosity filled his eyes as he leaned up and forward, nose wiggling as he sniffed the air, smelling the sweet scent of the tea in Minuet’s hands and wanting some. He did not ask either, suddenly hooking his little claws into the cushion to pull himself up onto it before clambering up Minuet’s side and down and arm to snuffle further at the little steaming cup. Minna laughed, finding cheer in her companion and he lapped at the drink, not minding one little bit. She was more than happy to share with him.

The event, though, she returned her attention to. So then, monsters would be determined by player level; that was thoughtful. It meant that everyone would be able to level, regardless of level. It did provide a bit of an intimidation, though, since those who partied up with higher levels would be faced with ferocious and fierce monsters of the same levels. I’ll just have to avoid the higher level players then, she gave a sheepish smile to herself, taking one hand to rub the back of her neck. However, in doing so, she shifted the support to her little cup, and Luka was actually kind of heavy, so it upset the balance, the cup tipping forward without her being able to do much about it at all.

A look of horror filled her face as it fell forward, no doubt going to spill and stain the perfectly good little wooden table in front of her. However, no liquid came out. Luka appeared to have drunk it all while she was lost in thought. A wry look filled her face as she shot her partner a look, one which he simply seemed to smile innocently up at her in response. It looked like she would have to make another cup of tea, although… it was probably about time to head out anyway so she could gain at least a few levels during the event. Besides, she wanted to see what the monsters looked like! Not to mention the drops.

Minuet placed the cup down on the table, intending to pick it up when she returned- perhaps she would make a meal for she and Kiss to share as well- and got up from her place on the cushion, Luka crawling up to settle on her shoulders in the meantime. She walked through Kiss’s house to the front door where her stuff was carefully tucked and put away, and she began to gather her things again. As she put on her cloak and fastened her halberd to her back, Minuet walked forward, and just as she was turning the handle of the front door, a message suddenly appeared in front of her face, causing her to pause. It was from Watch, telling her about a rare ingredient that he had found on his journeys that he had for her. An excited look filled Minuet’s face, and she almost bounced up and down with a huge smile on her face. It was always so exciting to find something new to cook with, not to mention how thoughtful it was of Wachter to do this for her. She would no doubt have to make a meal out of it for the two of them, perhaps Kiss as well, if she’d like to join them. She was sure she would, since it was a rare ingredient, after all.

Minuet quickly brought up a blank message, filling it out before sending it to Watch. ~”Mh, I’ll definitely be there! Excited to see you again, I’ll be along shortly!”~

With a cheerful smile to her face, Minuet turned the knob to the door and was quickly met with the cold air of the outside world. She stepped out, calling back behind her to Kiss, ”I’m heading out for the event, I’ll see you later!” before carefully closing the door behind her.

It did not take long for she and Luka to find the monsters that she sought. Players all over the place were locked in battle with all sorts of different creatures, ranging from snowmen to elves, reindeer, wolves, jack-in-the-boxes, and everything in between. There was such a wide variety! Perhaps she would have to deviate on her mission just a tad bit in order to do some battling of her own before meeting up with Wachter. Luka looked on with his own excitement from her shoulder, ears perked fully forward and eyes wide and attentive. He chattered excitedly, aching to get into battle as well.

She took a moment to send another message to Watch, letting him know that she may not be as quick getting to the town square as she had originally intended. She wanted to do some fighting along the way.

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Augur completed his perusing of the potion ingredient stall rather quickly, having picked up quite a few things. He was going to be making the most of this event, and he wholly intended to level from it as well, though gods knew how long that was going to take if the monsters were all going to be low levels like he thought they were going to be. Nonetheless, he had gotten what he needed, and, with a moment to watch Man-O-War pass by back to his guild- or so Augur surmised, as that was the direction the guild master was heading in- he turned, pocketing his items safely into his inventory and heading off for one of the quieter buildings in town.

With quick, purposeful strides, it did not take him long to find what he was after, and, after ducking into one of said buildings, he settled down at a table to begin making his elixirs. The interface was simple enough to do it anywhere, though granted potion-making was best done in herbology shops where a bonus could be given. Augur was a high enough level that the bonus didn’t do much for him in any case- his own skill far outmatched the small add-on, and as long as he did it properly, the potions would end up better anyway. He would need to make quite a few of them as well, as not only were they the main aspect of his combat, but with what he had planned, he would need a full arsenal. Lotty was crouched on the table off to the side, watching Augur’s hands work with half-lidded eyes.

It would only be a matter of time before the event started, but even then Augur would have time to keep making potions should he need to. He wasn’t planning on fighting right away- he never did. It was a game of observation- that was how he had always played it, being the beta for monster activity and aspects. Behavioral patterns, reactions, battle stratagem, he had learned it all with all of the monsters of LAIOS. It was exciting to be faced with new breeds during this event, and he very much looked forward to seeing and cataloging everything he found. Creature designs were probably one of his favorite things, he was well blessed in the fact that he had been chosen in this job as a beta; it was probably one of the only lights in this dark world.

Augur had gotten through quite a few potions, the sun shifting through the sky, when the message arrived from that damned GM announcing the event to be starting. Augur was admittedly surprised when he discovered that the monsters would match the levels of those who fought them. One might initially find it to be considerate of the Game Master, as it allowed people of all levels to participate in order to gain xp, but Augur also found it to completely discourage partying. Was it a sick and twisted ploy to present more danger to players, in so much as a town as well, where it would not be safe unless people hid in their houses or buildings around the town. There would be many dangers if monsters of multiple levels mulled about together. Did the GM foresee this at all? He would be going for realism, but at the same time, would he sacrifice it for safety? The creatures would be set to aggressive, and if there were more than one of them, who knew where the agro would land? He would just have to see.

This fact did prove beneficial to him, at least. This meant that he could grind to gain as many levels as possible. There would be no time for breaks once he began the chain of destruction, there would be no time to waste time.

Pushing himself up from the table, Augur grabbed his spear which had been leaned against the wall behind his chair, pulling on his jacket and offering a hand for Lotty to crawl up on before swiping the table with an arm to clear it of any remaining debris from his potion making. He walked from the table to the door, lifting a hand in farewell to the NPC who had allowed him stay in the building for so long. Should any monsters get too close, he would battle with them, but for now he would go through town to watch other players battle the multitudes as well as watch the monsters not in combat mull about in a docile manner. All aspects, agro or not, were important to note. Behavior was his ace, after all.



Monsters ranged from toys to arctic creatures, as well as living decorations, holiday spirits, and snow incarnate. It was a good variety, he had to give the Game Master credit where credit was due. There were even some floating foods, of which Augur could only surmise would be dropping ingredients, probably to make Christmas dinners like those in the real world. It was another nice aspect, and while Augur would have liked to indulge in such things, he was no cook, and besides, he didn’t have anyone to spend it with. Cain was still missing, Arctic was who-knows-where, and he did not expect to be finding them any time soon. He could only hope that Cain was in town for the holidays, but even so, it was a big area, and luck was never on his side. Augur was hoping that the event would offer a global message to announce the winners, and perhaps he could get his name out there to at least let his fellow betas know that he was still alive. There would be thousands of players attempting the same though, so his odds were slim when facing so much resistance; still, Augur wasn’t one to back down from a fight.

Speaking of fighting, the time had finally come around that Augur was comfortable with engaging the holiday creatures himself. He had eyed up a number of species, and with his added perks as a beta, he knew their weaknesses already. Even better, he found what he had been looking for initially- pack monsters. He would take care of singles first, of course, to get into the swing of things, but he planned on taking on solo what was intended to be fought by parties of similar levels. It was the fastest way to level up, and while yes, rather dangerous, especially at his level, Augur was not phased. After all, he had done his homework. And besides, he wasn’t entirely alone. He had Lotty with him, and she was his failsafe.

His current prey was a huge golden ball ornament, its little cap decorated with tinsel and pine trimmings. Whenever it moved, little sparkles would follow it, showering the ground before disappearing into nothingness. It was much like a sprite or elemental that he had seen in games other than LAOIS, where there was a particle effect implemented into the creature model. As Augur neared, the monster level registered as 112 and the creature itself turned to face him, suddenly rushing forward with those little sparkles falling after it like a salt shaker. Augur shifted into a readied battle stance, legs shoulder-width apart and hook spear held in front of him with both hands. A wicked smirk teased across his lips, eyes harshening and muscles tensing in eagerness for battle.

Augur met the ornament’s first attack with a solid block, sliding back slightly from the force of his opponent’s forward motion, pushing fiercely against the shaft of his weapon in attempt to reach his form and do damage. Augur had other plans. Shifting his arms back minutely before straining his muscles, he pushed back against the monster with a new force, taking a large step back while the monster was forced away from him in the same motion before twirling the spear to gain momentum in his hands and aiming it forward to bring it crashing down upon the top of the ornament in a hacking motion. Sufficient damage was dealt and the opponent’s health bar was lowered.

It was weak despite its mimicked level. It was just in its design, though Augur did admittedly have the upper hand whenever fighting monsters, since he already knew their weaknesses to begin with. It only took about a minute and a half to dispatch of the high-leveled beast, and Augur was off again in search of his next piece of prey, eyes dancing with the glee of destruction.